SiriusXM’s New Streaming-Only Plan Costs $8/Month

Satellite radio pioneer SiriusXM is rolling out a streaming-only plan offering access to a diverse lineup of more than 300 entertainment channels for $8/month.

Aimed at people who want to listen at home or on the go, the new Essential subscription plan is priced at $1/month for the first three months and $8/month thereafter.

Subscribers will be able to tune into SiriusXM on smartphones and tablets with the SiriusXM app, via the SiriusXM.com web player, and at home on a variety of devices, including Amazon Alexa-enabled smart speakers, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Sonos speakers, Xbox, Sony PlayStation, smart TVs, and more.

The plan provides access to several sports talk channels, including Mad Dog Sports Radio, and SiriusXM’s full lineup of music programming, which includes more than 200 channels of commercial-free music and artist-branded channels such as The Garth Channel, The Beatles Channel, and Eminem's Shade 45. The plan also features more than 100 recently added SiriusXM Xtra channels that promise more music and the ability to skip through songs.

SiriusXM executive Matt Epstein called the Essential subscription plan an “appealing option for the many people, particularly younger consumers, who don't have a car or don't spend a lot of time in their car."

Excluded from the Essential plan are Howard Stern's two full-time audio channels and Howard Video as well as the NBA, NHL, and NCAA channels, which are offered as part of the $16/month Premier plan.